Tray-elevator



S. OLSON.

TRAY ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1M5, 1914.

1,35 1,21 5. Patented'Aug. 31, 1920.

Jul/921,2 5:

j amzzeZOZsan ill ' ing UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

' smunnonson, or on rcneo, ILLINOIS.

TRAY-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,357.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relatesto certain features of a package conveyer of thetype commonly known as a tray elevator, having to do particularly'withimproved means for discharg-' ing loads therefrom. It comprises thefeatures and combinations of elements described herein and shown in thedrawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an elevator andcertain appurtenances thereto embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken as indicated at line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

'lhe conveyer illustrated in the drawings consists'essentially of one ormore endless chains, A, mounted for travel over head wheels indicated atB, and foot wheels not shown, together with trays, C, carried by thechains and guided as hereinafter described. As illustrated in .thedrawings, this conveyer" is designed primarily for use as an elevator,its trays being symmetrically designed so as to be available forcarrying loads upward along one ply of the chain, A, and adapted fortransferring other loads downward along the other ply of the chain,notwithstanding the fact that such trays are inverted in passing aroundthe head wheels at' B. With this object in view each tray is designed toextend to one side of its pivotal point'of engagement with the chain atC, but is provided with arms, 2 and G which extend to the other side ofsuch point of enagement and are fitted with guide rollers, D and C,respectively, for which guide channels are formed by oppositely facinangle rails, D and D, fixedly positione with respect to the path oftravel of the chain, A. As indicated in the drawings, the arms, from themedial plane of the tray, C, and are exactly similar in formation, thusadaptthe tray to support a load with equal efliciency upon ply of thetraveling belt, A. For automatically discharging the contents of a trayas C and C,- diverge simultaneously the other face and at either thelatter passes the particular floor, E, at which the load is tobedelivered the guide rail, D, is iormed with an outwardly deflectedportion, D, so that in following this Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

portion of the track the tray will assume a tilted position, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and will gravitationally dischargethe load. This deflected portion, D, of the rail, D is preferably apermanent and fixed feature, but me be thrown out of service by theinsertion 0 a bridge piece, D, which is hinged to the fixed rail, D, soas to be laterally movable into and out of bridgin position, as moreclearly indicated in ig. 2. From this view it will be understood thatsimilar guide devices are provided at each side ofthe path of travel ofthe trays and that the two hinged bridge sections, D, D, are connectedtogether for simultaneous movement by a link, F, extending transverselyof the conveyer between the two plies of the chain and pivotallyconnected with bell cranks, F which in turn are-linked, respectively, tothe operating arms, D of the bridge members, D. ()ne ofthe bell cranks,F is provided with an operating lever, G, working over a notchedsegment, G with the lever in the position. shown it will be seen thatthe bridge members, D, positioned as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2,render the guide channel perfectly straight so as to avoid tilting thetrays, C, as they pass but that when the lever is moved to the segmentnotch, G the bridge members will assume the positions indicated indotted lines, swinging clear of the path of the guide rollers andpermitting them to follow the deflected track, D. This feature isillustrated on the up-going side of the elevator but is obviouslyapplicable to the descending side as well.

It should be notedthat the deflected rail, D being bent outwardly in thedirection in which the load is to be discharged from the trays, 0,causes the tray to move bodily in that direction a short distance as itis tilted, thus tending to give its load an impulse which will assistthe tray.

It will be seen from the plan viewthat the' trays are preferablycomposed of a series of arms or fingers, C transversely spaced apart,and for removing loads from the trays in their downward travel there maybe provided at each floor, H, an inclined runway, J, of bars, J",positioned to intermember with the arms, C", of the conveyer trays.

This run-way is pivotally mounted in an opening, K in the vertical wall,K, which a tray pivotedthereto upon a horizontal axis,

said tray being adapted to extend horizontally and having both its facesarranged to support a load, two guide rollers associated with the trayand mounted at equal distances above and below the pivotal axis respec--tively and'at a substantlal distance from the axis in the directionopposite to that in which the tray extends, togethervwith means formounting and driving the belt, and a guide channel-positioned back ofthe plane of the belt to receive the reaction of the said rollers uponits opposite walls respectively.

2. In combination with a continuous belt, a tray pivoted thereto upon ahorizontal axis, said tray being adapted to extend horizontally andhaving both its faces'arranged to support a load, two guide rollersassociated with the tray and mounted at equal distances above and belowthe pivotal axis respectively and entirely beyond the plane of the beltin the direction opposite to that in which the tray extends, togetherwith means for mounting and driving the'belt, and a guide channelpositioned back of the plane of the belt to receive the reaction of thesaid rollers upon its opposite walls respectively.

3. In a conveyer comprising a belt mounted for vertical travel, a trapivotally engaged therewith and extending to one side of the axis ofengagement, upper and lower guide rollers rigidly associated with saidtray, and a guide channel positioned to receive the reactions of saidrollers upon its opposite walls respectively, said lower roller beingpositioned to engage such guide below the plane of the tray, and thevertically extending part of the wall of the guide channel whichsupports the upper roller having a portion which is deflected away fromthe opposite wall for tilting the tray in its travel thereover wherebysaid tilting of the tray is accompanied by a slight bodily movementthereof about the lower roller in a direction for discharge of the load.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 31st day of December, 1913.

. SAMUEL OLSON.

Witnesses: v

Rom. N. BURTON, EDNA M. Macln'rosrr.

